The twenty-one organisations across Australia that will share $60 million to help build community-based accommodation for adults with severe or profound disability, were announced yesterday by the Prime Minister.

The Fund is designed to encourage innovation and drive change in the way supported accommodation services are provided.

Negotiations for funding agreements are in progress with the successful 21 organisations, which will be responsible for 27 projects, providing 169 new supported accommodation and respite places across the country (19 more places than were initially promised).

Some of the places will be provided for people with ageing carers or people in rural and remote communities, and there are specific projects that will be provided for Indigenous communities.

The new innovative accommodation includes a vertical village with an accessible gym, and homes designed with leading edge technologies based on world’s best practice in sustainable housing, including home automation with motion detected lighting, and electronic devices to enhance hearing and speech difficulties.

This initiative will also help reduce the number of young people with disability who are cared for in nursing homes, or those at risk of placement in residential aged care.

The projects will be completed by June 2014.

A list of all of the projects is included in the Prime Minister's press release - nine will be located in metropolitan and regional NSW. We know that some people with Down syndrome are amongst those who will be accommodated.